Photography from south-east Asia by Jon Sanwell

Betel

December 28, 2015

Chewing betelnut (actually a combination of betel leaves and areca nut, Wikipedia tells me) is a major part of the culture in Myanmar. Betel provides a mild stimulant, but also stains the chewer’s teeth red and is a major cause of cancer. This series of pictures from Mandalay shows the areca nuts being sliced and sorted; the betel leaves being arranged in baskets for sale at the market; a street stand selling parcels of nuts and leaves; and a betel smile.

Wonderful photos, I lived in Hong Kong for a while, but haven’t been anywhere else in Asia yet, this country looks fascinating. Do you know why the people slicing the nuts choose something like a battle axe for what looks like close work?